Police Seeking Murdered Woman’s Ex-Lover Who Fled Australia

The hunt for mining executive, Cecilia Haddad’s killer has gone international as police are now seeking a person of interest who fled Australia in the days after her death.

Investigators confirmed on Wednesday that they had alerted South American authorities about a man they wished to speak to, believed to be Ms Haddad’s former lover, after he flew home to Brazil over the weekend.

The body of the Brazilian woman was discovered, fully clothed, in the Lane Cove River at Woolwich on Sunday morning, around six kilometres from her home in Ryde.

A post-mortem has been conducted on Ms Haddad’s body however the details have not yet been released. Police originally believed that Ms Haddad’s death was an accident or suicide, however, they now believe that murder is a real possibility.

The exact nature of Ms Haddad’s relationship with the person of interest is not clear but it is believed they were friends or even former lovers. Detectives from NSW Police wish to interview the man once he has been located.

On Wednesday, investigators spent the day searching through forensic reports, phone records, CCTV footage and witness statements, hoping to find a clue to the woman’s murder.

Police believe that the key to uncovering what happened to Ms Haddad could be linked to her red 2013 model Fiat 500 car which was found parked at West Ryde train station on Sunday afternoon.

Detective Acting Inspector Ritchie Sim said that Ms Haddad was last heard from on Saturday morning as she spoke to a friend over the phone between 8a and 9:30am. She also attended a barbecue on Friday evening with a group of friends.